Anacardiaceae
Pseudospondias microcarpa
- Petiole base.
- Cut twig.
- Habit.
- Midrib and venation, leaf lower surface.
- Leaf and young fruit.
- Immature fruit.
- Immature fruit cut transversely.
General Information
With a little experience this species can be recognised from a canoe in the middle of the Sangha River. This is because it is a small tree providing a dense shade in many fishing camps and villages on this river. The whitish bark and the branches that first curve downwards and then upwards before producing a clump of compound leaves are distinctive. Of course for a proper identification a closer examination is recommended. The venation of the leaflets is rather similar in appearance to that of mango leaves. This is not surprising as they are in the same family. The cut ends of the twigs also look and smell like those of mango. In other areas this species is reported to occur in terra firma forest – this requires investigation to see if it is exactly the same species, because sometimes these ecological differences can reflect underlying taxonomic differences.
Ecology
Permanently and seasonally flooded areas.
Distribution
Distribution: Senegal to Sudan, DRC, Angola and Zambia.